The Aing-Tii Monks
Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Jedi Academy Training Manual Patrolling the area of space near the Kathol Rift in large, organic ships and wielding advanced weaponry is a mysterious race known as the Aing-Tii. Their homeworld is hidden somewhere within the Rift, and many people believe that the entire race is sensitive to The Force, since the rest of the galaxy has only encountered Force-using members of the race. In truth, not all of the Aing-Tii are Force-sensitive, but they do have a higher percentage of Force-users compared with other Species. Members of The Aing-Tii Monks Force Tradition can select Talents from the Aing-Tii Monk Talent Tree. Membership Only a few beings who are not members of the Aing-Tii Species have been indoctrinated by The Aing-Tii Monks, but they are nevertheless part of this Force Tradition. Those who are not Aing-Tii must demonstrate a willingness to learn the "True nature of The Force" and demonstrate that they have something to teach the Monks as well. History Very little is known about the Aing-Tii. Their existence is a secret shared by relatively few individuals who have met Aing-Tii Monks. Even then, the meetings take place aboard their ships. In recent history, the Aing-Tii are known to patrol the space known as the Kathol Rift and do not interact very much with the inhabitants of the region. By the end of the Clone Wars, the Jedi Order learns of The Aing-Tii Monks' existence and knows that the Aing-Tii are decidedly uninterested in the Jedi. A few years before the Battle of Yavin, Master Yoda sends a former smuggler named Jorj Car'das to the Aing-Tii to ask for their help in countering his failing health. The Monks agree to assist on the condition that Jorj stays with them to learn their ways. Several years pass before the Monks allow Jorj Car'das to leave their company and spend the rest of his life on Exocron, a world in the Kathol Outback. Four years after the Battle of Endor, the Aing-Tii begin a search for what they call the Codex, an ancient piece of Darkstryder technology they believe to be sacred. Convinced that they cannot physically touch it, they abduct a Human navigator named Makezh, erase his memories, and implant a subconscious command to seek out and obtain the Codex for them. The Monks' knowledge of Human physiology is limited, however, and Makezh becomes mildly insane as a result of the operation. The search concludes on the planet Demonsgate, a lone world beyond the Kathol Rift. The Aing-Tii take the Codex, Makezh, and several Imperial Stormtroopers for study. After the conclusion of the Yuuzhan Vong War in 25 ABY, the Jedi Knight Jacen Solo travels to the Kathol Rift and studies with The Aing-Tii Monks. Although the Monks view Solo as an unsound student, they teach him about Flow-Walking and how to use the ability. Though Solo files a report of his time spent with The Aing-Tii Monks, much of the information Solo learned is deliberately withheld. Location The Aing-Tii Monks can be found almost exclusively within the nebulous clouds that form the Kathol Rift, near the edge of the galaxy. They actively patrol the area, looking for slaver ships or vessels in distress that they aggressively target and destroy. The location of their homeworld is unknown, despite many attempts over the years by several individuals to find it. However, it is believed to be located somewhere within the Rift. Very rarely are any Aing-Tii found alive outside the Rift, and those that dare venture outside do not stray very far. Philosophy The Aing-Tii Monks believe in the same Force as The Jedi and The Sith, but their fundamental principle about it differs greatly in scope. Instead of merely two sides of The Force, the Light Side and the Dark Side, The Aing-Tii Monks believe that The Force has multiple aspects very much like a rainbow. Within these aspects, The Force moves and acts in ways that guide and help life in all of it's forms, and no single aspect is more important than the others. In order for one to truly understand the nature of The Force, one must experience a little of each facet and gain a semblance of the entire spectrum. Since The Aing-Tii Monks believe like The Jedi that life creates The Force, they also believe that life can manipulate The Force as well, and even those who are not sensitive to the ebb and flow of The Force have some measure of control over it. Despite this idea, The Aing-Tii Monks do not seek to take advantage of their special "Gifts." They use their abilities for a more practical reason: moving themselves through space. Over the centuries, the Aing-Tii have learned to use The Force to bend space and even time to transport themselves to various destinations. Beyond this application, they use The Force for little else. Building an Aing-Tii Monk Playing a hero that has been trained in the philosophies of The Aing-Tii Monks can be somewhat trickier than playing members of other Force Traditions. Since the Aing-Tii Species does not lend itself easily to heroic adventuring, your hero is more likely to be a member of another Species that came across The Aing-Tii Monks and convinced them to train you. Decide how you came into contact with the Aing-Tii. Was your ship marooned on a world in Aing-Tii space or saved from slavers by an Aing-Tii patrol? Did you seek out The Aing-Tii Monks on purpose, making contact with the Species and requesting their instruction, or did they single you out through some sort of mystic selection process? After completing your training with The Aing-Tii Monks, what did you do? For what Destiny did the Aing-Tii give you their precious knowledge of The Force? In game terms, the powers of The Aing-Tii Monks are best represented in those abilities that bend the rules of time and space. Your hero will want to make sure they have the Fold Space Force Power, as well as some Talents from the Aing-Tii Monk Talent Tree. If your character has the Farseeing Force Power and the Visions Talent, you might interpret that when you use those abilities you are actually practicing the secret art of Flow-Walking (Whereby you transport yourself back to witness images from the past, rather than just seeing them from the future). Your hero might describe using the Surge Force Power as bending space to let you move more quickly, or your character might be a master of the Phase Force Power, allowing you to pass through walls. Other considerations for building your Aing-Tii Monk might include Feats and non-Force Talent selection. The Aing-Tii are adamant in their war on slavers, and as such you might build your hero to do the same. You might have studied under an Aing-Tii navigator aboard one of their Living Starships, and as such you would be Trained in the Pilot Skill. Perhaps you spent some time breaking up slaver convoys, and have the Vehicular Combat Feat or Weapon Proficiency (Heavy Weapons). Sine the Aing-Tii are careful to guard their secrets, you might take Talents and Feats that make you less susceptible to mental influence, boosting your Will Defense or discouraging others from making Skill Checks against your Will Defense at all. Category:Affiliations